Showering is a well known technique for cleaning the body. It provides for a constant flow of clear water over the body, allowing soap, suds, and body soil to be continually removed during the showering operation. The constant flow of water incident to showering activities gives rise to undersirably high levels of water usage. In an age of conservation, excessive use of water is most undesirable. Further, in many municipalities the cost of water is extremely high, making it most desirable to limit water usage to the greatest extent possible.
It has previously been thought that the efficiency by which dirt, soap, or suds may be removed from one's body in a shower is a function of the volume of water caused to flow from the shower head and onto the user's body. Accordingly, large volumes of water were believed necessary to properly clean the body and to rinse from it all soap and dirt residue. Applicant has, however, found that air flow can be used to supplement water flow from a shower head, allowing the water flow rate to be reduced while still effecting the same cleansing operation. The air flow can blow the residue and soap from the body, while the water continues to perform its rinsing function.
Previously, it has not been known to combine both air and water flow from a shower head. It has been previously known to meter soap or bath oil into the water stream of a shower head, as taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,095 and 3,446,438. It has further been known that separate nozzles may be provided in a shower head for emitting hot and cold water, such that the mixing of hot and cold water occurs on the user's body. Such structure has been taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,733,054 and 2,949,240. However, it has not been known to provide a shower head having certain nozzles emitting water and certain other nozzles for emitting air under pressure.